The Protea
Adornment
The iconic Protea, one of the most internationally recognised of South African plants, is endemic to the Cape floral kingdom. The Protea has been used by Khoi and San people in many ceremonies as a primary adornment for indigenous events and gatherings. It also has qualities that are incorporated into our indigenous knowledge systems, specifically its medicinal efficacy and its use in the culinary industry.
We believe that God made the protea to show in a unique way how beautiful His creation is. As our planet’s first modern human beings (homo sapiens), it took a long time for our ancestors to realise that there is a Supreme Being that made everything fit perfectly. The protea symbolises the visual beauty of nature and how beautiful human relationships can be. But the Creator also meant it as an opposite symbol of the bitter aloe, because it is further known as the sugarbush. From the sugarbush’s cauldron, syrup is boiled off. Yes, God promises, life can be sweet too.”
-Dr. Willa Boezak
Text from Struggle of an Ancient Faith: the Khoi-San of South Africa.
Cape Town: Bidvest Data, 2017.
